In the modern world, computing devices are getting smaller, more powerful, and cheaper to produce. These devices require text input devices that are not quite as cumbersome as keyboards. Miniature keyboards and soft keyboards are available on small handheld devices, such as PDAs, but are only practical for small data entry operations. In general, such keyboards use up valuable real estate on these devices and are difficult to use. Users who are less-literate and not computer proficient generally find the conventional keyboards to be the most intimidating parts of a computer.
One potential alternative for keyboards is handwriting recognition. However, the recognition accuracy of these devices is compromised in an attempt to provide a specialized alphabet that is accessible to all users, along with a recognition method robust enough to handle the different writing styles of an arbitrary user. One of the current techniques, referred to as Graffiti, forces users to learn an alphabet that is potentially different from the everyday alphabet they are accustomed to using. This can be an un-natural usage of alternate shapes for standard alphabets and can be difficult and time consuming to learn the drawing of alternate shapes for the standard alphabets. This technique generally has not been an acceptable solution to the users.